Little Miss Maple
by Sgamer82
Summary: Inspired by Poirot Café Themed Writing Contest #43: AU. Shiho Miyano has taken APTX-4869, shrunken down to the size of a six year old, and fled from the Organization. However, in this story it is not Hiroshi Agasa who finds her...
1. Chapter 1

Detective Conan  
Little Miss Maple  
by  
sgamer82

I must make quite a sight, Onee-chan...

A few hours ago, I was a teenage genius about to be executed for disobedience. One attempt to join you later, I'm a fraction of my original height, draped in clothes that had once been a perfect fit, and stumbling through the rain with no destination beyond "as far from where I had been as possible". It was a small mercy that it was late at night. Between that and the rain hardly anyone was out to see the little girl in oversized clothes staggering for her life.

Every step I took hurt. It was a struggle just to move my legs. My feet were bare, and a corner of my mind wondered what the Organization would make of the shoes I'd been forced to abandon. There had been pavement, so there wouldn't be any child sized footprints to give me away. I'd ducked through a park at one point, and between that and the increasingly wet city streets, I was certain the next time I looked down at my feet the sight would be horrible.

I kept going despite all that. I needed to get as far as I could. I ignored the pain in my legs and feet. I ignored the weariness left in the wake of the long spent adrenaline rush I had felt on realizing I could escape. I told myself that I had to keep moving, that I could not stop. I knew that the moment I did, that would be it. I was tired. I hurt. I was moving on pure inertia and the moment I stopped, whether exhaustion finally took me, I passed out from the pain, or simply tripped over a fold in my now far-too-large lab coat, that would be the end. When I fell I would not get up again. I had to make sure I got somewhere safe so that I would at least stand a chance at waking up again.

I vaguely noticed the terrain around me. High walls and gates, nameplates announcing the identities of the people behind those walls. Lights coming from windows. I'd entered a residential area. I continued for a few steps more before I heard a gate creak open behind me.

"Hey, wait!"

I stopped. I turned my head and saw a man approaching with an umbrella.

"Are you hurt?" he asked. "Where did you come from?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I stopped. My momentum had halted, and with it any ability to continue forward. My legs gave out at last and I collapsed in a heap at the feet of the man who had noticed me. The last thing I remembered hearing was his voice, from strangely far away. He sounded distressed.

* * *

I awoke, but did not open my eyes yet. I was honestly afraid to. What if that had all been a dream? What if I was still handcuffed to that pipe. With that thought it occurred to me that if I was still cuffed to that pipe I wouldn't be nearly so comfortable. I wasn't sitting on a floor secured to the nearest solid object. I was lying on my back on something soft. My head was slightly elevated.

A bed. And a pillow, too.

I began to think that perhaps the handcuffs were the dream. I hoped so, Onee-chan. If they were then I could just wake up, call you, and have a laugh about the whole dumb thing.

Then he spoke.

"Good morning."

My thoughts screeched to a halt at that voice. It was a man's voice, the same man from last night. I opened my eyes to look and had to remind myself that he wasn't actually a giant, that it was I that had become small. He sat beside the bed. Behind him I saw a futon, suggesting he'd slept next to the bed he'd given to me.

The night's events came back to me. Everything from taking APTX-4869 and experiencing its non-fatal side effect to encountering the person now sitting at my bedside. I must have reacted badly when that all came back to me because the man immediately tried to offer comfort.

"Hey, now, it's okay," the man said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

His tone was gentle. Of course it was. As far as he knew he was simply reassuring a scared little girl.

"My name is Shinichi Kudo," the young man said. "What's yours?"


	2. Chapter 2

Shinichi Kudo, teen detective, apprenticed to Kogoro Mouri, though you thought Kudo was the sharper of the two... Yes, Onee-chan, I remembered that name. I remembered what you told me about him. How could I forget, when that was one of the _last_ things you ever told me? I looked into him myself after... after what happened to you. His reputation as a detective appeared well earned, which made him perhaps the single worst person I could have possibly run into for a whole host of reasons.

He moved closer and kneeled beside the bed, giving me a reassuring smile as he waited for me to tell him my name. I hadn't given much thought to aliases during my flight from the Organization, and I certainly wasn't going to tell him "Shiho Miyano", that was certain. I intended to keep quiet, but my body soon answered on my behalf. Listening for me to speak as he had been, Kudo clearly heard my stomach growl. Making it more humiliating was the fact Kudo smiled, finding the whole thing amusing. Probably _cute_ , too...

"I suppose introductions can wait long enough to get you fed," Kudo said. "Fortunately my girlfriend stopped by and she's the best chef I know, so you're in for a treat."

With that, Kudo leaned forward and tugged at the comforter on the bed. I pulled back out of reflex, but Kudo had no trouble overpowering me and pulled the blanket off. As soon as he did I realized three things.

The first was that my feet had been treated. I remembered fearing the sight of them the night before, but now my feet were wrapped with bandages with barely a trace of red on the soles. My legs looked good, too, with only a small amount of bruising and scratches to mark the trek I'd endured, and which had also been cleaned and treated.

The second thing I realized was that I was wearing clothing closer to my current size. Powder blue pajamas, a short sleeved top and short pants, decorated in magnifying glasses and deerstalker hats. If Shinichi Kudo was as big a mystery fanatic as both you and my own research suggested, Onee-chan, these almost certainly came from his childhood wardrobe.

"Sorry about that," Kudo said as he noticed me staring at the pajamas. "All I had were my old clothes. My girlfriend promised she'd try and find some of her old things later, if you'd prefer dresses or just something less boyish, but I'm afraid you'll have to put up with boys' clothes until then."

I nodded, but I wasn't really listening. I was too busy trying not to think too hard about my third realization: that there was only one way in the world for the fresh clothes and cleaned and treated wounds to have possibly come about while I was unconscious. Kudo actually helped my endeavor by taking one of my feet in his hands.

"I'm going to put some pressure on your foot," he explained. "Tell me if it hurts, okay?"

After I nodded, he pressed on the sole of my foot. It was very light pressure, but I only just barely managed not to yell out. Kudo nodded and apologized.

"No walking for you, today." Before I could respond, Kudo grabbed me from under my arms and effortlessly lifted me up. That, Onee-chan, was the moment that made me realize just how much smaller I was now. Kudo went on speaking, oblivious to my own thoughts.

"Your feet were torn up pretty badly by walking around barefoot as long as you were."

He ended the sentence with a leading tone, as if asking me to fill in the blanks. He furrowed his brows at my continued silence, then shrugged and re-positioned me on his hip for easier carrying.

"I want you to keep off those feet, for now," he said as he carried me out of the bedroom. "We'll take a look at them after breakfast and figure out if you need to see a doctor."

Again he watched me for a reaction. Probably wondering how I'd react to the idea of seeing a doctor. I didn't know what reaction he expected, nor what he'd make of any other response I might give him, so I didn't give him _any_ reaction at all. As he carried me towards the stairs he kept trying to get me to speak; asking me basic questions like "How old are you?", "What grade are you in?", or "What elementary school do you attend?" I didn't respond to any of them, partly because I didn't have answers and also because I was trying to get a grip on my surroundings.

It was a nice home from what little I had seen. There were family photos scattered about, and portraits of what looked like detectives and other literary figures. Daylight came through the windows. It looked like mid-morning. A glimpse at a clock en route confirmed half past nine.

Kudo stopped his questions when he realized I wasn't answering. That or he possibly believed I wasn't paying any attention to him. As we went down the stairs, I wondered just how long I could keep up this silent treatment. I started to wonder whether or not I could go so far as to convince him I was nonverbal. I'd responded to him enough, even if just by nodding, that I probably couldn't pretend I didn't understand Japanese.

My thoughts were interrupted by wonderful smells coming from somewhere. My empty stomach made its wishes known once again. Kudo chuckled as we reached the house's ground floor.

"Breakfast is just about ready, Shinichi," a woman's voice called as Kudo finished. "Is she awake?"

"She is," Kudo said as he stepped into a dining room "And hungry. The only sound I've gotten out of her is a growling stomach."

"Then we'll make sure she gets plenty," said the voice.

Kudo set me down on a chair at the table, then joined the woman I had heard in the kitchen. I could hear them speaking, but gave up trying to listen upon realizing I could only make out every third or fourth word. I looked at the dining room instead. Like the house I had seen thus far it was nice without being ostentatious. It was clear the Kudo family was, if not fabulously wealthy, then sufficiently so for money to not be a major issue. The main thing I noticed beyond mere decoration were numerous books in different parts of the room. The signs of an avid, if not organized, reader who probably read at the dinner table.

My examination was interrupted by the sound of a plate being set on the table. My stomach growled loudly again as I looked at the food set before me. A pair of feminine hands was laying out chopsticks and silverware next to the plate. I heard a girl's chuckle and looked up.

"Shinichi was right, you are hun-"

"Onee-chan!"


	3. Chapter 3

I felt like an idiot as soon as I realized what I'd said. Not because it instantly ended any plans to feign muteness, nor because even that one word would give Kudo information that he could use to try to figure out who I was. Not even because it never occurred to me, except in hindsight, to play it off as simply calling the girl "onee-chan" because she was technically older than me. I was an idiot because I honestly believed what I was saying. That despite knowing that this girl, however much she reminded me of you, Onee-chan, could not possibly be you, I _wanted_ her to be. In that moment I'd let myself hope that it might actually be you, that you weren't...

That's when I started to cry. It started small, with the first tears running down my cheeks. Within moments, however, I was crying harder and louder than I could remember having ever done before. Cried like I hadn't dared allow myself to after I heard about what happened to you. The tears I had kept at bay to avoid showing weakness in front of anyone in the Organization now came freely. Before I had even registered that fact, the girl had sat in the chair next to mine and pulled me into her lap. She held me tight, patted my back and spoke softly, offering soothing words that I did not hear. I honestly think that only made me cry more, as it was just what I would have expected from you, Onee-chan.

I don't know how long I wailed like that, but I eventually calmed down. Once she realized I was done, the girl pulled me away and turned my face to look at hers. Kudo gave the girl a handkerchief to wipe my eyes and nose.

"Do you feel a little better?" she asked. I nodded.

"What's her name?" she asked me. "Your onee-chan?"

"Akemi." I'd curse myself for answering so promptly later. At that moment I was in no mood to care.

"That's a lovely name," the girl said to me. "Is there a way to contact her?"

"A seance," I said, not thinking to stop myself. I could almost feel Kudo and the girl wince at the response.

"I'm sorry," the girl said. She sounded sincere. You would have been, Onee-chan. "Is there anyone else? Your parents?"

I shook my head. The girl sighed.

"Well, if we can't do anything about that right now, let's at least deal with what we can." The girl put my back in my original seat, the plate of food right where she'd left it. "You go ahead and get started. Ran-neechan's going to go and get the rest of your breakfast."

I closed my eyes and recited "Itadkimasu," earning me praise for my good manners from "Ran-neechan". I looked up as I picked up a knife and fork to begin eating and saw Kudo watching me intently. The cursing myself I'd known would come started as I wondered just what Kudo must have gleaned from my moment of weakness beyond the obvious.

I tried not to let that bother me as I began eating Ran's breakfast with a lack of restraint that surprised me. It probably shouldn't have, given it was the first full meal I'd eaten since I was locked up to be executed. The Organization didn't believe in the concept of "last meals". They just added to the mess that would need to be cleaned up when they shot me in the head. They were practical like that.

As I ate, I tried not to look up at Ran as she brought in a glass of juice for me and breakfast for herself and Kudo. I didn't want to risk a repeat of my... less than dignified moment, so instead I focused on my food, which perhaps is what prompted Ran to promise me seconds if I was still hungry afterward. I could feel Kudo's gaze on me the entire time. As my plate became clean I began looking around the room again. Looking everywhere except at Kudo and Ran. My eyes eventually found their way back to the detective books. They were almost exclusively mysteries; primarily Arthur Conan Doyle with others mixed in. Most were Japanese, some English. I was never one for mysteries, so the only other author among them I really recognized other than Doyle was Agatha Christie.

"Do you like to read?" I heard Ran ask. She had moved and sat in the chair next to mine. I managed not to jump in surprise and answered the question with a shrug.

"Those are mysteries," Ran went on. "Detectives solving crimes and stopping bad guys. Shinichi-niichan is a detective, too."

I felt myself frown. A detective that stopped the bad guys? We both know that's one thing Shinichi Kudo was _not_ , Onee-chan. I tried to focus back on my food. From the corner of my eye I could see Ran frowning.

"Guess it's back to the silent treatment," Kudo said from his place across the table. "Don't feel too bad, Ran, you got more out of her than I did."

Ran ignored him, stood up from her seat and knelt down beside me. She turned my head so I was forced to look at her face. The face that was so much like yours, Onee-chan.

"Can you at least tell us your name?" Ran asked. "We'd like to know what we should call you."

I tried to pull away, but Ran held my head firm. I tried to put another forkful of food in my mouth, only for Ran's free hand to gently take the silverware from mine and set it on the table. Not once did Ran's gaze waver from my eyes. With no choice but to look into that face, I realized there was no getting out of the question this time. I remained quiet for a long moment, trying to think of something. My gaze found its way to the books again, and inspiration struck.

"Kaede," I said. "My name is Kaede."

"Kaede..." Ran said with a leading tone, clearly fishing for a surname.

"Kaede," I repeated. Two more failed proddings later, Ran conceded that she would only get a given name and released me. I made a mental note to try and think of a family name before either she or Kudo tried again.

"All right, Kaede-chan it is," Ran said. As I began to eat again, I saw with dismay that Kudo was looking in the direction of the books. Regardless of whether or not Ran had been convinced, it was obvious that Kudo was suspicious. At least he was apparently going to wait for us all to finish breakfast first.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Little fun fact, until I got the first review for chapter two and because I wrote this as one long story that I'm only breaking up into chapters for easier reading and posting, it never once occurred to me that I didn't actually _name_ Ran in the previous chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

After all of us finished our meal, Ran and Kudo saw to my feet. Kudo collected a washbasin and towel grin the bathroom. As he filled the basin in the kitchen, Ran took off my bandages. The sight under the bandages was not pleasant, but also was not grisly. Kudo's treatment had clearly dealt with the worst of my injuries. Even so, Onee-chan, as the bandages came off I found myself forced to wonder just what I'd been walking on.

I bit my lip as Ran washed my feet and ankles and applied some kind of medicinal ointment. Whether I was trying not to laugh or not to scream in pain varied depending on where Ran was applying pressure. While she did all that Kudo cleared the table and took the dishes into the sink for later washing.

"Looks like the bleeding has stopped." Ran gave me an apologetic smile. "No sprains that I can tell. There's clearly still some soreness in the muscles. I know a few things we can try that can help with that."

"I've already told her no walking for today," Kudo said as Ran applied clean bandages. He turned to me. "You need anything, you tell us and we'll take care of it for you. Understood?"

I nodded. The careful prodding thus far had been bad enough. I wasn't about to consider standing, let alone walking, for the time being. Even if that did mean I was effectively stuck in Shinichi Kudo's home whether I liked it or not.

After my feet were taken care of and re-bandaged, Ran carried me to the living room and sat me on the sofa. Kudo followed close behind. I tried not to get nervous when I saw him collect a book from one of his piles, but my heart rate sped up regardless. After I was situated, Kudo kneeled down so he and I were eye level with each other. I had an idea what was coming. I'd been dreading it, and Kudo immediately proved my fears were founded.

"Kaede-chan, I want to ask you a few questions; about where you came from, and how you found your way here."

I kept quiet.

"I think I know why you aren't talking," Kudo said. "It's the same reason you lied to us about your name at breakfast." I heard Ran gasp. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but a narrowing of Kudo's eyes told me I failed. "If it's us you're afraid of, you don't need to worry. You're safe here, and Ran-neechan and I aren't mad about your name, either. You can be Kaede-chan for now and tell us your real name when you're ready."

"How do you know Kaede-chan's lying about her name?" Ran asked.

"She was looking at the books in the dining room," Kudo replied. Without looking away from me, he passed Ran the book he had brought with him. "This book is one of Agatha Christie's."

I felt my eyes widen. It was one thing to work out I'd lied, but had he also...

"Miss Marple?" Ran asked, looking as the cover. "What about it?"

"Remove the 'R'."

He had.

"'Miss Mah-ple'? No wait..." There was silence for a moment. "Maple!"

Kudo nodded.

"And Kaede is a name that features the kanji for 'maple'." Kudo never once looked away from me during his deductive display. He certainly saw me swallow nervously. "That tells me, Kaede-chan," Kudo said, now addressing me directly, "that you are a very smart girl. Not just bilingual but also literate enough to think of a Japanese name using an English word. Both smart enough and scared enough to believe you need a fake name to begin with."

Kudo reached out and took my hand. I tried to pull it back, resisting more out of reflex than any expectation I could break his grip. He held up my arm, displaying a red mark along my wrist I hadn't noticed before now. He broke his eye contact for a moment to glance at that mark.

"When I was your age," Kudo began. "I'd make Ran-neechan play Cops and Robbers with me. Several incidents with toys, once or twice with the real thing, and helping police arrest suspects today means I know exactly what made these marks."

"Handcuffs?" I heard Ran ask.

"Handcuffs," Kudo confirmed. "Handcuffs you managed to struggle out of, Kaede-chan. Wherever you were before I found you last night, you didn't just run away, did you? You _escaped_."

I stared at Kudo, my heart raced harder than before as he not only deduced that my name was false, but how I had come up with it, what I had been bound with, and how I had left.

My mind reeled back to one of our last conversations, Onee-chan. I remember you telling me Kudo was sharp, that he reminded you of me. I began to see why you held him in such regard.

I felt myself scowl as I remembered where that regard had gotten you.

"You're wrong," I said. It sounded weak, and I knew it as well as Kudo did.

"It's all right to be afraid, Kaede-chan," Kudo said. "But you're safe here."

"I'm not!" I replied. I hadn't meant to raise my voice, but knew I must have when Kudo winced slightly. I started fighting against his grip on my hand again. "Release me!"

I didn't want to listen to him anymore. I had realized where this conversation had to be going. What he intended to tell me. He was going to say it. I knew he would. The same thing he told you. The same lie...

"Kaede-chan..."

The same lie that convinced you to trust him.

"...I'll protect you."

I closed my eyes. I felt my hands ball into fists.

"Protect me?" I wonder now if either Kudo or Ran noticed my suddenly flat tone of voice. "You are going to protect me?" I asked again. "Will you really, Onii-san?"

"I promise I will," Kudo said. I opened my eyes and looked right into Kudo's. Kudo recoiled.

"Then you might as well put the bullet in my brain yourself!"

"Kaede-chan!" Ran shouted. Kudo didn't respond. He just stared at me, clearly taken aback.

"Shinichi Kudo, _detective_!" I spat. "I know exactly who you are! I looked you up after Onee-chan died!"

I heard Ran telling me to calm down. I heard _me_ telling me to calm down. I knew I should stop, accept whatever scolding the "grown-ups" would give me for being rude, and move on. I didn't. I ignored the voices, internal and external alike. Face to face with the man who had failed you, Onee-chan, and his presumption that he could protect me any better, I couldn't stop myself anymore. The dumbfounded look on Kudo's face was just too satisfying.

I had to hurt him.

"You promised to protect her!" I shouted. "You promised her and now she's _dead!_ "

I pulled my hand from Kudo's shock-slackened grip and stood. I ignored the pain that shot through my feet. Honestly, Onee-chan, I don't even remember it.

"Don't you _dare_ say you'll protect me, too!"

I lunged at Kudo. I was stopped short by Ran, who quickly grabbed me by the waist and pulled me away, but not before I reached out my left hand and clawed at Kudo's face with my fingernails.

"Kaede-chan, stop it!" Ran yelled.

I didn't stop. I _couldn't_ stop. Not now. It felt too good to see Kudo sitting there, clutching his bleeding cheek, watching me in horror.

"It's your fault!" I screamed. "Onee-chan's dead and it's your fault!"

With my now smaller body, Ran had no trouble lifting me away from Kudo. However, my constant struggling was making it hard to actually subdue me.

"You won't protect me!" I went on. My voice had reached a hysterical screech. "You'll get me killed, too! I'm not dying because of you! Let me go!"

This last was directed at Ran. Unable to simply hang on to me, she had opted to secure me in a proper hold. I fought to free myself without much luck, so I settled for more yelling.

"Let me go, you Wannabe Onee-chan!" I screamed. "Let me golet me go letmego!"

I became more and more incoherent as I thrashed against Ran's grip. What words could be understood were the harshest obscenities I could remember. I clawed and even bit at Ran's arms. I kicked and felt my feet connect a few times. I heard Ran grunt when that happened. Whether my attacks on Ran actually hurt her or not, she did not let go.

I have no idea how long I kept that up. It felt like hours but could not have been more than a few minutes. Regardless, I quickly burned through any energy I had regained from a night's sleep and a meal. As the haze of rage faded, the pain in my feet my anger induced adrenaline had allowed me ignore came back in force. I hung limp in Ran's arms and let the tears of every kind of pain flow.

"... hate you..." I croaked, determined to get one last parting shot.


	5. Chapter 5

Silence lingered after that. When it was clear no one else was going to say anything, Ran stood up and carried me away from the living room and Kudo. Without a word, she walked upstairs, back to the guest room I had originally woken up in, and sat me on the bed.

I looked up at her and, this time, I recoiled. Whenever I think back to my assault on Kudo, I imagine my eyes blazing. In contrast, Ran's eyes now were cold.

"Shinichi-niichan and I need to talk. You are going to stay here." Ran's tone was not angry, but I could tell she would not put up with any argument, so I offered none. "We'll check on you later. If you need anything before then, just call out and we'll hear you."

I nodded and Ran left the room.

Truthfully, I was happy to be left behind, even if it _was_ because I'd just been put in time-out like a naughty child. For the first time since I left that warehouse, I was alone. Alone to process everything that had passed by so quickly. Alone to consider my options going forward. Alone to simply _think_.

In that brief period, I thought about a lot of things, Onee-chan.

I thought of you, of course. You were never far from my thoughts these days. Along with you, I thought of Ran. I couldn't help it. She was close to my real age, but she reminded me of you so much it hurt. Even when she was angry at me, I could only think of times when we were little and I had annoyed you. Back when I was innocent enough that your displeasure was the most horrible thing thing I could conceive. I had a similar feeling now, and couldn't help but wonder how much of that was influenced by my current form.

I thought of Shinichi Kudo and how I had acted towards him. I never would have believed myself capable of so savagely assaulting anyone like that, Onee-chan. Not even Shinichi Kudo, no matter how much I blamed him for your death, no matter how much I hated him. Yet hurting him had felt so _good_ in the moment... and now the moment had passed. Now I was forced to take a good, long look at myself, and I'm not sure I liked the sight. Between that and the fact I was stuck in his care for the immediate future, I needed to seriously reevaluate my feelings towards the detective.

And what _of_ that future? I was trapped in Kudo's home until my injuries healed. That seemed unavoidable. What about after that? Had I worn out my welcome with that fiasco downstairs? Kudo was still in shock when I was taken away and Ran had been so furious I counted myself fortunate she hadn't opted for a more corporal response to attacking her boyfriend. Were it me I'd be eager to get such a violent child as far from me as possible. Yet, despite everything so far, I could only hope that didn't happen. As much as this was one of the last places I wanted to be, as aware as I was that it was merely a reprieve from the inevitable, it was preferable to any alternative I could think of.

I hadn't been fleeing with any destination in mind, Onee-chan. Even if I had, there was no place I could take refuge that the Organization couldn't find easily, assuming they didn't already know about it. I didn't know anyone outside of the Organization, so there was nobody I could turn to, either. The only exception might have been your boyfriend, and I have no way of contacting him.

That was when it hit me.

I was alone.

I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. No one who would help even if they could do so. I may well have already turned the only people sympathetic to my plight against me. Even if I hadn't, I didn't dare let them know who and what I really was; not if I wanted to have even a slim hope of continued survival.

I don't know exactly when I started crying again. I only know it was not long after I started that the bedroom door opened. Ran and Kudo walked in kneeled on the floor next to the bed on either side of me. I looked at Kudo, only to immediately turn away at the sight of the bandage plastered to his right cheek. I ended up looking at Ran. The warmth had returned to her eyes, but she wasn't offering me the immediate comfort she had at the breakfast table. Her arms were bandaged too, thanks to me. She brought out a handkerchief and dabbed the tears from my eyes.

"I hope this means you've thought about what happened downstairs," Ran said. I nodded. "Then do you have anything you want to say?"

I looked at Ran for a moment, confused. It took that moment for it to occur to me what Ran was expecting.

"I'm sorry." I looked at Ran's bandages. "For... for your arms... and calling you 'Wannabe Onee-chan'." I made myself look at Kudo. "And for scratching your cheek. That was out of line."

"Good. And...?" Ran asked. I blinked at her. I was legitimately confused. I had apologized for attacking her and Kudo, I had apologized for what I said to... her... right... there was one thing I hadn't apologized for.

"You want me to apologize for everything I said to Shinichi-san," I said.

"I do," Ran replied. "Is there a reason you seem to be avoiding that?"

"Look, Ran-" I heard Kudo begin. Ran raised her hand to cut him off.

"Well?" she prompted.

I hesitated. Should I apologize, tell them what they want to hear? Should I tell the truth? Say nothing at all?

"Because..." I said, making my choice. "I'm not sure I _am_ sorry."

"Is that so?" Ran's eyes narrowed. I tired not to wilt at the look in her eyes. Throughout this entire insane morning nothing, not the childish pajamas, not the ease with which I was picked up and carted around, not even my own overly emotional behavior, made me feel more like a child than the look on your- on _Ran's_ face, when she was reprimanding me.

"Everything I said was horrible," I said. "I know that. I didn't plan to get so angry, I didn't even know I _could_ , but..." my gaze drifted downward. "...but I meant every word. All of it... so how can I say I'm sorry?"

I know, Onee-chan, that the better move would have been to tell them what they wanted to hear and throw myself on their mercy. In the moment itself, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I did feel sorry for attacking them, and I know I was out of line, but I wasn't ready to let go of my resentment towards Shinichi Kudo. Not yet.

I wondered what they would make of my apologies, or lack thereof. I couldn't see Kudo, sitting to my left, and didn't want to look at him or, more accurately, his bandaged cheek. On my right, Ran closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she exhaled, I noticed her shoulders drop as tension left them.

"I'm not happy to hear that..." Ran told me. "But I suppose I shouldn't fault you for being honest. You did also apologize for _actually_ hurting us, so..." Ran glanced at Kudo, who must have nodded given Ran's next words. "...we'll leave it at that. We forgive you Kaede-chan." Ran placed a hand on top of my head and smiled for a brief moment before turning her expression serious again. "However, if you _ever_ do something like that again you will _not_ get off so easily. Is that clear?"

I nodded. Emphatically.

"Now there's one last thing to settle for today, Kaede-chan," Kudo said.

My attention turned to Kudo. The sight of his cheek wasn't quite so horrendous now. The power of forgiveness, I suppose...

"If my deductions earlier are correct," he continued, "you're in a very dangerous situation."

I said nothing, not wishing to confirm those deductions.

"Even if they're not, it's better to be safe than sorry and assume they are. On top of that, you're hurt." He glanced down at my feet. "Ran-neechan and I discussed what to do and, right now, we think it's best to keep you here for at least a few days, maybe more. Long enough for you to get better and any immediate searching to die down."

I frowned at that, but I couldn't disagree.

"We can't really plan any further ahead until we see how things go. The reason I bring it up is because that means you'll be here with me for that time. Ran will visit but it's mostly going to be just the two of us. With everything that's happened already, it doesn't take a detective to guess this isn't something you'll like."

The master detective had a knack for understatement, it seemed.

"You might not believe me, Kaede-chan, but I don't want you to be any more miserable than I can help. I think that, if we can get along, the next few days will go a lot better than you're probably thinking they will. If you can promise to try to do that, I won't push you for any information you don't want to give me. All those questions I tried to ask you before, we can forget about them unless you decide you want to tell me yourself. You have my word."

Kudo held out his hand and extended his pinky finger.

"Truce?"

He wanted me to pinky swear? How old did he think I- oh, right...

I hesitated. It was not that I didn't trust Kudo to keep his word, Onee-chan. Quite the opposite, in fact. I was sure he would keep his promise and not ask uncomfortable questions, if only to keep me compliant. I was just as sure that he would be watching me like a hawk, trying to get the answers he wanted indirectly. Kudo would watch, observe, and try to extrapolate any information he could from my behaviors and reactions. Information that he would just as certainly use to try and confront the Organization; an act that would get him killed, and you- _Ran_ and I along with him.

I had not planned to survive last night, Onee-chan. Now that I have, however, I was not about to allow myself to be killed. The only way within my power to prevent that was to make sure Shinichi Kudo got nothing he could use from me. In that moment, there was only one method I could think of to accomplish that.

Shinichi Kudo was every bit the skilled detective both you and my research said he was. Between his motto that there was only one truth and Sherlock Holmes' quote about accepting the truth, however improbable, he could very well deduce my true identity. If that happened, if he _knew_ , rather than suspected, that I was a source of valuable information, he'd do everything he could to convince me to talk. If he accomplished that, convinced or forced me to reveal what I knew, we were all as good as dead. He was too concerned with truth and justice. He would never leave the Organization alone if he knew of its existence.

Fortunately, my true nature was so far into the realm of the improbable that he would have no reason to suspect it; not so long as there was a much more sensible alternative. For example, a scared, traumatized, angry little girl he was reluctant to pressure too hard. So long as Kudo had as no reason to think otherwise, all of us were safe. That meant I had to make certain he never had a reason to think otherwise; I had play the role of scared, traumatized, angry little girl to the hilt. I needed to ensure his every observation was framed in that light.

Simply put, Onee-chan, I had to _be_ Kaede. What would Kaede feel? What would Kaede want? What would Kaede do? I had to act with the answers to these questions in mind.

To that end, I reluctantly raised my own hand, pinky outstretched, and linked with Kudo's. My expression as I did so was not happy, but Kaede's wouldn't be, either, as she still resented Kudo, so that was all right.

"Truce," I said. "I'll be good."

It's not like I had a choice, after all.

I gave my pinky promise and, just like that, the matter was settled and all was forgiven. There were no more questions, either, or at least nothing more mundane than "how old are you?". Ran and Kudo apparently decided they should help me become more at ease with my new surroundings. Ran picked out some clean clothes, the pajamas I wore having been slightly bloodstained from my scratching of Ran's arms, and helped me change while Kudo got a box of his old toys for us to play with.

The remainder of my first morning in Shinichi Kudo's home was spent with my new self-proclaimed caretakers entertaining me, using Sherlock Holmes dolls like the more typical kind, much to Kudo's discomfort and my own amusement. Playtime stopped only when my exhaustion, physical, mental, and emotional alike, finally caught up to me. It wasn't long before I was nodding off and struggling to stay awake. I heard Ran or Kudo, I wasn't sure which, say something before laying me down on the bed and pulling the comforter over me.

I must make quite a sight, Onee-chan... little more than a day before I was a prodigy everyone had high expectations for; a scientist with her own lab whose research could revolutionize the world. Now I was playing with dollies, taking afternoon naps, and no one expected me to even dress myself...

...and, for all our sakes, I had to do whatever it took to _keep_ it that way.


	6. Epilogue

Shinichi Kudo walked into the library to wait while Ran finished putting Kaede to bed. He went straight for the chair behind his father's desk, threw himself into it, and sighed. Shinichi didn't feel he was exaggerating when he regarded the day thus far as a challenge unlike any he'd ever faced. Murderers, criminals, Kogoro... he could tackle those with confidence. The little girl dozing in the guest room was something else entirely.

It wasn't that he'd never felt hatred before. He'd made enemies simply by solving the murders he came across. People had cussed him out, blamed him for their misfortune, even attacked him. This was different. Kaede had done all of that, but she was no criminal, no murderer whose anger stemmed from being found out, who couldn't comprehend that none of their justifications didn't put them above the law. She was a victim, blaming Shinichi not for his success, but for his failure.

Thankfully, Ran walked in before Shinichi's thoughts could become more melancholy.

"She's sound asleep," Ran reported.

"No surprise," Shinichi said. "She's had a rough morning." Shinichi fingered the bandage over his cheek. "We all have."

Ran agreed and took a seat in a chair in front of the desk.

"You're going to take her in," Ran said. It wasn't a question. "You told Kaede-chan we couldn't plan anything until later, but you're already decided."

"Yeah," Shinichi said eventually. "I am; and I will."

"I thought as much." Ran looked at Shinichi with a worried expression. "Are you sure about that?" she asked. "That it's a good idea?"

"Are your worried about what she told us?" Shinichi asked. "That she's not sorry for what she said to me?"

Ran nodded.

"It's true that she acknowledged she went too far, promised to behave, and she apologized for attacking us, but she hadn't exactly planned to blow up like she did, either. She said so herself, she didn't know she could get mad like that. If... if something sets her off again-"

Ran shook her head. Shinichi sat up straighter in his chair as Ran's implication struck.

"Ran, you sound like you think Kaede-chan is going to try and murder me in my sleep." Shinichi tried to laugh the idea away. "Do you actually think she would do something like that?"

"No! It's... I mean..." Ran shook her head again. "It's not that I'm afraid Kaede-chan will attack you again. What worries me is that if she did, you'd _let_ her."

"What?!" Shinichi exclaimed. "Ran, don't be ridic-"

"We've been in danger before, Shinichi Kudo," Ran interrupted. "Plenty of times. Every time we have, every _single_ one, you never once hesitated. Whether it was to get away, fight, protect someone else, or just to get out of _my_ way, you always, always acted." In a sudden burst of energy, Ran stood from her chair. "When Kaede-chan attacked you? You didn't even _try_ to move! If I hadn't stepped in, you would have let her practically maul you... and don't think I don't know why."

Ran leaned over the desk so she and Shinichi were face to face.

" _Sherry-chan_ isn't the only one who blames you for what happened to Masami-san."

Silence lingered between them as Ran said the words. Words that Shinichi couldn't deny. Words that confirmed she'd deduced the same thing he had. Shinichi blinked first and looked away.

"You're right," Shinichi said, his voice barely above a whisper. "She's not. You're also right in that's why I'm going to keep her safe, even if she doesn't want me to. I promised Masami - no, Akemi-san - that I'd protect her little sister if I found her. Either she arranged for Sherry-chan to come here if anything happened to her, or it's one hell of a coincidence. Regardless, it doesn't change what I have to do now that she's landed on my doorstep."

Ran studied Shinichi's face. Studied it long enough, Shinichi hoped, that Ran would realize there was no talking him out of this. Apparently she did realize that, as she backed away and resumed her seat.

"You know," Ran said as she got comfortable, "the way Masami - Akemi-san - spoke of her, I thought she'd be older."

"With a name like 'Sherry', I was expecting her to be one of _them_ ," Shinichi said.

"Then I guess we were both wrong..." Ran said.

"Yes," Shinichi said. "And, for all our sakes, let's hope that's _all_ we're wrong about..."

Yet even as he said the words, Shinichi knew he had only just scratched the surface of the mystery of Sherry. His mind went to the only physical evidence he possessed besides the child herself.

 _She was wearing adult clothing when I found her. Those clothes were also the_ only _clothing she had. It was night and storming, so she couldn't have gotten them from a clothesline. Even if she did, lab coats aren't exactly common..._

 _That would suggest that they originated from wherever she ran away from, and that the conditions there were such that she'd had to steal clothes before she ran. So where could this girl have possibly been that would keep her handcuffed, without clothes, and where the closest article of clothing on hand was an adult's lab coat?_

None of the answers that came to Shinichi were pleasant ones, but he wouldn't let that deter him. He would figure this out. Not just for the kid's sake, nor even his own.

There was only one truth. For the woman he had, until today, known only as Masami Hirota, the woman who had entrusted him with her only family, and the woman he had failed, he would see this through and find that truth.


End file.
